The present invention relates to a device for compression of the neck spine for medical imaging purposes, in particular for diagnostic purposes at complementary examination using computed tomography or magnetic resonance tomography.
The object of the present invention is to obtain a device the use of which provides an aid for an adequate and reproducible examination of the neck spine under load in connection with computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance tomography, in particular for the diagnosis of degenerative and inflammatory conditions as well as degenerative instability in the neck.
Diagnosis of the neck with regard to degenerative and inflammatory conditions as well as degenerative instability are hard to carry out under well-defined conditions and the market does not recognise any such diagnostic tools or equipment for said purpose.
EP 95920357.1 discloses a device for compression of the lumbar spine for medical imaging purposes, and then in particular for the diagnosis of the spinal cord canal and nerve structures (spinal stenosis) present.
Further, it is previously known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,629,581 a device for positioning a patients shoulders in connection with an X-ray examination of the spine of a patient, whereby the upper spinal column is pressed downwards towards the examination table and makes it possible to obtain good X-ray pictures of the upper vertebras. Hereby a pressure is applied over the spinal column of the lying patient via two flexible strings provided with handles for the patient which strings are arranged around a foot plate.
There is thus a problem to be solved, viz. to obtain an apparatus or device for the diagnosis of the neck with regard to degenerative and inflammatory conditions as well as degenerative instability under well-defined conditions.
It has now surprisingly been shown possible to be able to solve this problem by the present invention which is characterized in that the device comprises
a waist arrangement to be placed around and in firm contact with the upper body of a patient,
a helmet arrangement to be placed around and in firm contact with the head of a patient, strings connecting said waist arrangement and said helmet arrangement, which strings can be stretched independently of each other and comprise each a tension meter to monitor the force by which the strings are stretched.
By means of the present invention a controlled load of the neck spine can be obtained when the waist arrangement applied around a patient""s upper body and the helmet arrangement is placed around and over the head and the strings are stretched to a certain load. Further, the load can be applied asymmetric as well, whereby the neck spine can be examined and diagnosed in any bent position, such as forward, backward, and sidewise.